Holding Onto Hope
by Friendsfan
Summary: Post Drowning on Dry Land. Cristina's P.O.V. with the other internsattendings.CH.4! FINAL CHAPTER! Please read and review :
1. Chapter 1

Holding Onto Hope

**Ch.1**

Cristina literally couldn't believe what had happened. Shock was apparent on her face; on the face on all of the other interns. She felt trapped in Izzy's arms. Trapped in general. She felt lost. As Cristina glanced at the tears on George's face, the worry in Alex's eyes, and felt the despair of Izzy, Cristina gave Izzy a little squeeze before releasing her.

The interns stood by the door. Minutes seemed like hours, an eternity. Addison came out of the room, and the interns gathered by her. Addison looked weary, drained, exhausted. Cristina realized with gratitude how caring Addison actually was. She spoke softly. "You guys should prepare for the worst."

George let out a sob, while Cristina shook her head. It looked like Izzy was in shock now. Alex was in a rare loss for words.

"I can't accept that," Cristina stated, slowly returning to her normal self.

"Cristina," Addison said firmly. "I know that she's your best friend, but I'm telling you. It'll be a lot easier if you prepare for what might happen."

"I want to go in." Cristina stated. She was starting to get more and more worked up. "She's said before that I'm her power of attorney. I get to decide. I want to see her. You can check with Bailey if you want."

Addison gave in. Cristina glanced at the other interns, gaining support from each one, as she followed Addison. Derek didn't look at her, he was still burying his face in his hands.

The room was full of chaos, and all Cristina heard was the flatline of the monitor. She drew in a deep breath. Bailey glanced at her. "What are you doing in here, Yang?"

"I'm her power of attorney." Cristina said weakly, willing her voice not to crack.

Bailey's voice was soft, but firm, as she kept pushing on Meredith's chest, desperately trying to revive her intern. "You decide, Cristina. What are we going to do next?"

The eyes of all the Attending were on her. The shock on Addison's face, Burke's tight face, trying to concentrate, the tears in the Chief's eyes. Miranda Bailey's persistence.

"Try again. Do anything. Just try. There will be no time of death called in this room. She can survive this. Izzy was reading a case just like this."

"Try again people," Bailey ordered. She didn't want to give up on her, either.

It took four tries, but finally the monitor started to beep again. Cristina felt dangerously close to tears, and she heard the Attendings breathe a sigh of relief, at the mere fact that she was alive.

"Her vitals are extremely low," Burke said. "It looks like she's in a coma. She's alive though; at least she's alive."

Cristina couldn't bear to look at him. She was still enraged that he didn't understand that Meredith was her "person." It was just another thing that separated them.

Addison and Burke left to tell Derek, and the Chief went to tell Ellis, in the hopes of making her lucid again to tell her the good news. Cristina lingered in the room a moment longer, with Bailey.

"How bad is it?" Cristina ventured.

"Could be days, could be weeks. I couldn't tell you, Yang. You know as much as I do, really."

Cristina nodded.

"We'll move her to the clinic now. It's quiet and not many people have come yet. Tell the other interns and you can see her in a couple of hours. All of you can take a few hours off." Bailey left the room with Cristina, and as she passed by the other interns, told them the news.

Izzy smiled so much her face seemed like it was permently stuck. George and Alex let out this huge sigh of relief, and Bailey smiled.

"Dr. Bailey?" George asked, running after her.

"What is it, O'Mally?" Bailey asked.

"I found the boy. He's in surgery right now."

"Good work, George. I'm proud of you." George smiled.

"But don't ever lie to a patient again, you got that?" Nazi Bailey suddenly came out.

"Yes, Ma'am." George said, pretending to be scared.

"Go visit with your friends, George." Bailey headed to the hall, desperate to take half an hour and curl up on a spare cot.


	2. Chapter 2

Waiting.

Ch.2

The hospital seats were uncomfortable, Cristina realised as she sat sitting in the waiting room with Izzy, George, and Alex. It felt so wierd without Meredith. Her sitting was interrupted by the ahaken sight of Derek, who took a seat next to them.

"Have you seen her?" Cristina asked.

"She's the same," Derek sighed. "You guys can go in one at a time."

"Cristina?" Izzy asked.

Cristina shook her head. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't. Not just yet.

"Not yet."

At the shaken heads of the other interns, Izzy headed down the hall.

Meredith had regained some of her color. That was Izzy's first reaction as she stared at her friend, and took a seat.

"Hey," she whispered. Izzy took a look at the monitor that was monitoring Meredith's temperature. "You gotta wake up, you know. Or else I'm going to be in the house all by myself. I'm already lonely with the thought of losing you. No-one really understands me and accepts me the way you do- especially not George lately. I need to have you wake up. Okay? Please? I don't think it's too much to ask."

Izzy sat back in the couch. "Just get warm. Get better."

George was in next, as he gingerly took ahold of Meredith's hands, willing himself to stop crying. The tears just seemed endless. Death was too close to him.

"Mer, you need to wake up. You can't die. I've lost so much already, and I'm not going to lose you too. We've had our difficulties in the past, but we've still remained good friends. I'm not going to lose out on our friendship. I need you. I need you to wake up, I need to see your smile. I need to see Cristina whole again. She's really taking this hard. Just please. Wake up."

Alex's turn now.

" Sometimes it seems you're the only one on my side. When everyone is critisising me, you back me up. You help me with so much- I think if you hadn't helped me study for my exam rewrite, I would've failed. I need you to wake up. I need our "I'll tell you a secret if you tell me one too." I need to tell you. I think I'm falling for someone."

Finally, Cristina.

She walked into the room, slowly. It was wierd how it felt different to be in a room where your best friend was actually a patient. It felt wierd. A foreign concept. One that she hadn't thought of.

"Burke and I are engaged. I wanted to tell you first before he told Derek, but it didn't work. And now he's mad at me, and he doesn't understand that you're my person. That we're each-other's person. Men sometimes. I just don't understand. And I want you to wake up, okay? I need you to wake up. You're my only real family and I'm not going to lose you." Cristina felt tears well up in her eyes. "If you did, I wouldn't be able to stand it."


	3. Chapter 3

Ch.3

As the days slowly progressed, everyone tried to get on with their daily lives, although it was easier said than done. Bailey was being linieunt with her interns, knowing that this was hard for them. The attendings were, too. It was hard on everyone. It affected everyone. Each took turns sitting down in Meredith's room. Derek and Cristina, George, Izzy, Alex, Bailey, and occasionally, even Addison. They all felt like they had to protect her in some way, especially the older adults. And although Bailey didn't like to admit it, she had a soft spot for all of her interns.

This was on her mind as she finished her shift and headed into to Meredith's room, much like she had when Cristina had come out of surgery months ago. Meredith had fallen while trying to help someone. If that wasn't heroic, she didn't know what else was.  
Meredith slowly moved in her bed as Miranda jolted a bit, waking from her light sleep.   
"Meredith?"  
Meredith tried to speak but her mouth was too dry, as Bailey gave her some water.  
"Do you know what happened, Meredith?"  
She nodded. "I don't feel the greatest."  
Bailey smiled. "I could imagine you don't. Everyone will be happy to see you though. I'm glad you're up."  
Bailey got up and patted Meredith's hand. "Ready for some visitors?"

Bailey wandered down the hall, looking for her interns, which she found around the hospital. Luckily, they were either in the Pit, or having lunch. Derek was in surgery but she would tell him after.  
"Meredith's awke, but I don't want you to tire her out, you understand? She's been through a lot. You know the drill, one at a time."

This time, Cristina was first.

Meredith managed a smile as Cristina took her usual seat. "Hey," she whispered, her voice still not fully recovered.  
"Hey," Cristina said.  
"Burke and I are engaged," she blurted out. "I wanted to tell you in the locker room, but you were in a bad mood, and I should have, and I.. I thought it was too late."  
Meredith asked seriously, "Is this what you really want?"  
"I thought it was. Then he got mad at me because he didn't understand that you're my person. We just don't seem to get each-other. I love him, but it's so complicated."  
Meredith held a hand out to Cristina, who, after a second's pause, took it and gave it a squeeze.  
"Hey person, I'm really glad you're okay."  
"Cristina? You're my person too, you know."  
Cristina leaned down to give Meredith a hug. The concept of hugging seemed strange, and she wasn't sure if she had even done it before. With Meredith though, it seemed as normal as it could. Just someone hugging their best friend.  
"I'll send George in," Cristina said.

An excited George entered, as he bent over to give Meredith a long hug.  
"I'm so glad you're okay," he said. "Everyone was so worried..."  
Meredith smiled. "What else did I miss lately?"  
As George talked, Meredith laughed along with him. It felt so nice to loved.

Izzy was next, and she talked just as much as George did, so much so, that Meredith put a hand to stop her.  
"Izzy, enough. I'm tired, but I'll say this. You love George,and he does love you, but you're suffocating him. There's no need to be jealous, but you are insanely jealous. It's going to ruin your relationship if it continues."  
Meredith, once again, had saved Izzy, as Izzy reached over and squeezed her hand. "Thanks, Mere."

Next- Derek, Alex, go to see Mere and more


	4. Chapter 4

Dark and Twisty? Nah.

Derek breathed heavily for a moment, and hesitated at the door- unsure of why he was nervous. It was just Meredith. _Just Meredith, _he thought to himself as he opened the door.

The color was returning to Meredith's cheeks, and she was already starting to look on the mend, something Derek was immensely relieved over; something that everyone was relieved over.

"Hey," he said softly to her, coming over to kiss me on the cheek.

"Hey," she replied, and then softly teased, "So I guess you are my knight-in-shining whatever."

He laughed, and held her hand. "Anything for you."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I love you, Meredith."

Meredith smiled. It was amazing how a near-death experience could strengthen relationships.

"I love you, too." As he leaned over for a kiss, everything felt perfect- except for the aching all over her body.

Alex was seemingly the only one not creeped out by Meredith lying in the hospital bed, as he walked in nonchalantly, seemingly pacing instead of sitting down.

"Hey," he said.

"What's going on, Alex?" Meredith said, a confused expression on her face. "What's bothering you?"

"Okay, normally I wouldn't tell you this, but I really have no-one else to tell."

"Go on.." Meredith urged.

"Well.. Addison kissed me. And I said I wasn't interested, but I was lying."

Meredith looked incredulous. "Addison? Jeez.. who isn't sleeping with one-another here?"

"Tell her how you feel," Meredith urged. "I doubt she would care that you didn't say anything before."

"Thanks, Mer. I'm glad you woke up." Alex gave her a cute smile.

"Me too," Mer replied.

The day passed by, till it reached night, and visitors were frequent, although the hours still passed by very slowly. Meredith was already getting sick of lying in the hospital bed, and she struggled to get up. Derek was planning on coming and visiting again after surgery, but he wouldn't be done for a few more hours.

"What are you doing?" George asked, peeking into her room.

"Nothing," Meredith said, fibbing. "What do you have there?"

"A few little things," George replied, smiling. "Dinner, a movie, and some fresh clothes. I went by to the house to check on Izzy. And to say a few words. I think things are good now."

"I'm glad." She didn't like to see her two friends fighting.

A quiet night was spent between the two friends, laughing and reminiscing. Somehow, Meredith knew that everything would be okay. With all of her loved ones by her side, she would make it through. And that thought made her question everything "dark and twisty."


End file.
